[ideas] Brick recovery for TA088v3 & PSP3000

[silvertang]

[size=+1]Disclaimer:[/size]
This guide probably doesn't apply to around 99% of you with bricked PSPs.
This guide may only be used if you have not turned off your PSP after the bricking operation.
Also, this is based off theory and is not guaranteed to work.

Only follow this guide if you have strong belief that you have bricked your PSP. None of the instructions posted here have been tested.

Remember, you can't kill something thats already dead. The thing is to determine whether its dead or not because you can certainly kill something thats alive.

If you think you have bricked your PSP, DO NOT TURN YOUR PSP OFF.
Operations that brick your PSP include:

• Flashing Custom Themes
• Flashing Custom Firmware
• Anything with the word "flash" in it that does not say "Safe for TA088v3"

[size=+1]Before you brick your TA088v3/TA090v2 (Flash0 backup):[/size]
You will need:

• A USB cable
• 5.03 Firmware
• CFW Enabler
• ChickHEN R2

1. Load ChickHEN and CFW Enabler. I'm not going to go into details. Read the READMEs for information.
2. Press SELECT and change USB Mode to flash0
3. Connect to the computer.
4. Copy EVERYTHING off the drive that comes up. Do not delete, modify or do anything to the backup.
5. Safely remove the drive.
6. Press SELECT and change USB Mode back to MemoryStick.
   Done! You should now be protected in case of a brick (as long as you don't turn off your PSP after the brick).

[size=+1]If you suspect that you have bricked your TA088v3/TA090v2:[/size]
You will need:

• A USB cable
• CFW Enabler
• A PSP charger
• A MemoryStick

1. Do not turn off your PSP at any cost. If you turn off your PSP, all hope is gone.
2. Plug in the charger even if your battery is full. Do not run any homebrew or do anything that will potentially crash the PSP.

Now, you have four options:

• Install a later version of OFW - Will definitely unbrick but will lose access to ChickHEN (which means no homebrew) - Not reconmended - Go to step A
• Restore flash0 from backup (if you made one) - Untested but theoretically should work - Recommended. Go to step B
• Use version.txt and reinstall 5.03OFW - Untested but theoretically should work. - You can try. Go to step C
• Use psardumper to extract 5.03 modules for your PSP model and copy it to flash0. - Untested - Only an idea, beyond scope of this tutorial.

A. Install a later OFW

1. If you are in ChickHEN, use network update.
2. If you are in CFWe, download the update eboot and put it in /PSP/GAME/UPDATE and run it.
   Please note that you will not be able to use homebrew after this until an exploit for that firmware has been found.

B. Restore flash0 from backup

1. Assuming you are ChickHEN, run the CFW Enabler launcher. If you are already in CFWe skip this step.
2. Press SELECT and change USB Mode to flash0
3. Connect to computer.
4. Copy everything from you backup to flash0. Press yes to allow replacing of files.
5. Reboot PSP and hope for the best.

C. Use version.txt and reinstall 5.03OFW

1. Assuming you are ChickHEN, run the CFW Enabler launcher. If you are already in CFWe skip this step.
2. Open the CFWe launcher and Go to Settings -> version.txt -> Change Version to 5.02
3. Exit the program.
4. Download the 5.03OFW EBOOT and put it in /PSP/GAME/UPDATE
5. Run the eboot in CFWe.
   (Method unconfirmed but theoretically seems to be able to work. Please post results)

Good luck.

 

[xiemphongthan]

however, normally when a PSP bricks, it will automatically shutdown. So there's nearly absolutely no chance for a person to know about it

 

[spitfireuk]

well if it doesn't turn back on then u know its bricked and thats a bugger of a feeling xD

 

[Hellcat]

I am not sure if I am cool with this guide....

For one, "guiding" something that hasn't been tested at all.... uhm.... well....
For the other, simply writing a flash0 backup back to the flash can cause even more damage if not done with extreme care! And the backup MUST BE of the PSP it has ben made from unless you use tools that support copying FW dumps between PSPs.

 

[xiemphongthan]

well if it doesn't turn back on then u know its bricked and thats a bugger of a feeling xD

Ya, and then you can't do anything posted above xD

 

[0klah0ma]

this is not a guide... almost all his posts are just assumptions

 

[twelve]

You're all correct. I've removed it from the guide section and renamed the thread title.

 

[romantic24]

I thought his guide is awesome. Ahahaha. I'm confused. How can you fix a bricked PSP 3k and 2kv3? It will turn off automatically, Am I right? Maybe, he is just talking about a semi-bricked PSP. Hehehe. Sorry for may english.

 

[xist]

simply writing a flash0 backup back to the flash can cause even more damage if not done with extreme care!

I'm curious as to the ill effects if you were to simply erase the contents of your modified flash0 and then write in the flash0 backup (from your PSP that was backed up before any changes were made). Is there some hidden badness that us normal folk are unaware of?

 

[Hellcat]

I'm curious as to the ill effects if you were to simply erase the contents of your modified flash0 and then write in the flash0 backup (from your PSP that was backed up before any changes were made). Is there some hidden badness that us normal folk are unaware of?

Well, keep in mind that the FAT filesystem - that as also used in the flash partitions - is not quite the most stable one.
So while doing just a raw "copy everything over" there's some chance something might go wrong, while that's no such big issue on normal drives, the flash is quite sensitive place of filestorage....

Not counting common user errors.

And then there's alway a change to PSP might turn off/crash/whatever while the copy is in progress....


Summing up: There's high potential something might go wrong.
Not necessarily, but might happen....

 

[junya8971]

I smell someone trying this on their bricked PSP 3k and writing a thread asking for help and complaining about the so called "guide". I think you should add Idea with big bold letters on the heading of the thread,lol As it may be misleading to someone who is new to the scene or the site.

 

[xploren]

The title already says [ideas], so I don't see the need for that.

... What am I saying, this is the PSP section. Go ahead and do what junya said.

 

[Erland]

Doing any of the above is about as pointless as doing it with a regular red brick.

It's called a brick for a reason. It's because there is nothing you can do with it except put some mortar on it and put it on a wall....

If it's bricked you have absolutely no chance to turn on the USB to be able to copy anything over.

You cannot run and update because the PSP does not turn on.

What you are referring to is brick prevention... in a situation like so..

I'm going to flash X, I flash it... oh wait I shouldn't have flashed that, let me make sure I don't turn off the PSP, now let me flash the original back.

The above is the only situation where this guide is useful....and if you are messing with flashing you should already know this. Most people who know what they are doing, when flashing will simply rename the original file. This means it will keep the original file there and then add the modified one... this way you can either run homebrew or have access to USB to be able to fix the issue.

Now you cannot change version.txt to 5.02 to reflash 5.03. Why? because the installers do not check version.txt to find out the version you are running, it has it's other means and files it checks...

 

[Itanium]

Instead of keeping itself in a brick state, the PSP (and every well designed-firmware updatable piece of hardware) should have a little part of firmware in ROM that test on boot the main part in NAND, and checks in some way for an update in case there is something wrong.

Something like this will prevent Sony getting tons of PSPs at service, but I guess this will probably end in some kind of security breach for the system.

 

[Zero]

Instead of keeping itself in a brick state, the PSP (and every well designed-firmware updatable piece of hardware) should have a little part of firmware in ROM that test on boot the main part in NAND, and checks in some way for an update in case there is something wrong.

Something like this will prevent Sony getting tons of PSPs at service, but I guess this will probably end in some kind of security breach for the system.

It's unneccesary hardware and adds to production costs, not to mention the occurence of bricking is rare under normal use. Plus Sony has a very easy way of fixing bricked PSPs called service mode, we call it Pandora.

 

[UserUnknown]

It's unneccesary hardware and adds to production costs, not to mention the occurence of bricking is rare under normal use. Plus Sony has a very easy way of fixing bricked PSPs called service mode, we call it Pandora.

Ya know, it kinda makes me wonder if Sony checked the battery to see if they could boot it into service mode, or maybe manufactured it that way..?

 

[Hellcat]

Ya know, it kinda makes me wonder if Sony checked the battery to see if they could boot it into service mode, or maybe manufactured it that way..?

Sony implemented the battery-triggered service mode on purpose as means of.... well, service recovery option.

If that's what you mean.

What we call "Pandora" is Sony's backdoor to fix a broken FW install and other problems.
Most likely even used in production for first-time installation/flashing.

 

[UserUnknown]

Yup. Thats what I meant.
I also was wondering how long it would take before they would "Oh, crap. People are going to figure that out." Lol.

 

[january39]

I cant see any of the options talked about actually working, in my experience prevention is better than cure so a thread on how you potential could brick a 3000 or TA-088v3 would be more use to the noobs.

I guess you meant well but i think threads like this could give comfort to some, for them to try to flash x to to their psp's on the chance if it does brick they could just follow your guide.

As i understand there is no way to recover a brick on a 3000 or ta-.........

 

[Hellcat]

As i understand there is no way to recover a brick on a 3000 or ta-.........

You undestand right.